“Who the hell is that?”
Nightmare gazed toward the locked-up cyborg. “His name’s Sphere, but don’t worry. He can’t get out.”
She swallowed and studied the Fighter.
Those eyes never left her. It seemed like he wanted to devour her, and something told her he’d hurt her if he got his hands on her.
He probably wouldn’t mean it, but something told her he had no control over his actions, judging by the bruises on his face and his dark hair that probably hadn’t seen a comb in forever.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“His mind is lost,” Nightmare said. “Some of us react worse than others to the loss of the bond. Sphere was one of them. Honestly, the kindest thing would be to put him out of his misery.”
Faye’s jaw dropped. “The kindest thing? I can’t believe you just said that.”
The leader raised an eyebrow. “Take a close look at him and tell me what you see.”
She licked her lips and glanced at the Fighter. “Pain.”
“Exactly. He’s in a lot of pain. The day before we met Celise, we decided to end his life because he wasn’t improving, but now that she’s in the picture, I see hope for him. When she and Wind come back in a few days, I’ll let her take a look at him. Now let’s move on.” He kept walking. “Silver’s waiting for you.”
CHAPTER 3
When Nightmare stopped in front of a door and met her gaze, a cold chill traveled down Faye’s spine.
“Is this where—?”
He nodded. “Remember what I told you, he’s tied up. Silver won’t be able to hurt you, but I can’t keep him tied forever. I will have to let him go eventually.”
Phoenix’s gaze darkened. “I don’t like this.”
“You don’t have to,” Nightmare said. “She has to do this, whether she wants to or not. I will not lose Silver.” His gaze landed on her again. “Bind him to you. Once we figure out how to remove the bond, both of you will be set free.”
She crossed her arms. “What if I refuse?”
The leader snorted. “Do you really believe I’ll let you go if you refuse? His life is in your hands. You chose to kiss him. Without you, he’ll die, so take responsibility for your actions, and bind him to you.” He pressed his hand against the plate next to the door and a click sounded. “I’ll leave the door open so you can get out, but I’ll also give you a few hours to make sure the second flash happens. It shouldn’t take much since his bond is screaming for it. After that, I’ll release him. It’ll be up to you if he’ll be calm by then or not.”
Phoenix’s shoulders tensed. “I’ll stay here, and make sure she’s safe.”
Nightmare nodded. “Good.” He left without saying another word.
Faye couldn’t tear her eyes off the door. Knowing Silver was behind it made her shiver all over. She wanted nothing more but to run away.
This was the last place she wanted to be, but she’d chosen to stay.
Somehow, she’d get through this.
Everything inside her screamed to not bind Silver to her, but what other option did she have? None, really.
Maybe doing what Nightmare wanted was the only way, and it didn’t sound that bad. She could bind Silver to her, and afterward, they could stay away from each other until Celise and the others had come up with a way to remove the bond.
Faye doubted the cyborg wanted anything to do with her, and he’d probably be happy with that solution. Besides, she didn’t want his death on her conscience.
“I’ll be here,” Phoenix said. “Just yell if you need me, and I’ll be in the room within a second.”
She nodded and smiled, grateful for him wanting to protect her. If anything went wrong, she’d be hopeless. A cyborg was a lot stronger than a human, and an angry cyborg was nothing to play around with.
Faye took a deep breath to calm herself. It did no good, because when she put her hand on the door handle and pulled it down, her heart went into a frenzy. She had no idea what to expect when she opened the door. Silver was tied to the wall. That meant he wouldn’t be able to reach her if she stayed close to the door … hopefully.
Memories flooded her when she went inside.
She’d never had much interest in cyborgs, but from what she could remember, Silver was one of the hottest ones she’d ever seen; a body to die for and with a cocky gaze in his aluminum-colored shining eyes.
They’d done nothing but argue ever since they’d met, but he’d also flirted with her, and Faye had flirted back. It had been exciting and arousing because every time he’d given her that wicked grin, her body had reacted. Her sex had clenched with need, and it’d made her curse her lonely existence.
Every guy she’d dated over the years had turned out to be a pain in the ass. They were the reason to why she’d been on her own the past three years.
She’d focused on her career instead. Running two companies, in design and marketing, had given her enough money to buy a home in Glaswell.
It was her fault she and Silver were in this situation, but if the Fighters hadn’t tried to hurt Shade, she would’ve never kissed Silver. The only thing that tormented her was the pain she’d put him through.
Now, Faye was here to set them both free.
The room she entered was small, white, and only contained a bed and a toilet that could be hidden with a curtain, but none of that mattered when she met Silver’s wild gaze.
He stood with his back to the wall with his arms chained to it by his wrists.
She froze and stared. The fury in his shining eyes almost made her regret coming. She squeezed the door handle.
It surprised her how intense the shine in his eyes was, it was almost blinding, but he was just as handsome as she remembered, despite his messy blond hair and flushed cheeks. A thin coat of sweat covered his skin and his wrists were red.
Faye frowned. Had he been trying to set himself free?
Silver flashed his teeth. “Leave. Leave now.”
She remained, stuck to her spot, then took a deep breath and stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her. “Nice to see you too, Silver.” His name felt like candy on her tongue. For some reason, she liked saying it.
He pulled on the chains hard, making her jump.
She’d never seen anyone as pissed as he was right now. It made her tense; ready to flee.
The tiny cracks in the walls around the chains whispered of his strength, and so did his muscular frame.
Her memory hadn’t been wrong. The sight of his appealing body made her lick her lips. Then, she cursed. He still had that effect on her, but Faye didn’t want to be attracted to him.
She was here to set them both free, nothing else.
She’d sleep with him if she had to, to set the bond, but that was it. Faye sat on the bed and gave him a self-assured smile she didn’t feel on the inside. “I guess you know why I’m here.”
“If you touch me, I’ll kill you.”
The threat was no joke.
She sighed and stood. Maybe coming here had been the wrong move after all. “Then I’ll just leave you here to rot.” She headed for the door.
Obvious panic filled Silver’s glowing eyes. “No.” He gasped.
Faye crossed her arms like she had earlier. “You really don’t know what you want, do you?”
He shook his head, as if to shake something off him. “It’s my bond talking. It wants you to finish what you started.”
Even if he was pissed, the pain and exhaustion was easy to spot. It was written all over his face, and she didn’t doubt the bond was slowly driving him crazy.
She’d gained enough information about it to understand how it behaved.
It probably screamed inside him like a madman, and now when she was here, in front of him, it frustrated the hell out of him. She was so close, and yet so far away.
In a way it made her feel powerful. Faye literally held his life in her hands. “And what do you want?” she asked.
“Take one wild guess,�
� he hissed.
She snorted and dared to take two steps closer. “Let’s make one thing clear. I don’t want to be here. I’ve no interest in you, whatsoever, but I’m here because I have a conscience.” The not-wanting-him-part wasn’t exactly true, but he didn’t need to know that. “Honestly, you had this coming. If you Fighters hadn’t touched Shade, none of us would’ve been in this situation. I can walk away and never look back, but that means you’ll die.” She looked him over. “I see you’re hurting, but you want as little to do with me as I want with you.” Faye swallowed so she wouldn’t falter. “Therefore, I think we should just do this, and we can stay out of each other’s ways until the Fighters and Celise know how to remove the bond.”
Silver remained silent for a moment, and then he started laughing.
Faye blinked. “What’s so funny?”
“You really are naïve. Do you really believe you can bind me to you and walk away? My instincts to be by your side will be over the roof. My bond will make sure the only thing I’ll want is to stay by your side, protect you, and love you. But do you really think that’s what I want?” His gaze darkened. “Bond me to you, and I’ll protect and love you, but I’ll hate you for it for as long as I’ll live.”
She stood paralyzed. The hate in his gaze was unmistakable, and it slowly killed her on the inside.
Maybe she’d been wrong.
Maybe all the flirting and teasing had been nothing but a game for him. Maybe she’d imagined the tiny hint of interest she’d seen in the abandoned house.
Maybe he really did hate her.
She didn’t move. Uncertainty dominated, but then anger grabbed her, and it filled her to a level she’d never experienced before. Faye slapped his cheek hard.
The hit threw his head to the side, and he groaned.
“You want to die? Be my guest. I don’t give a fuck about you.” She stormed out of the room, not missing the surprise in Silver’s eyes.
A roar of despair filled the air as she slammed the door behind her.
Phoenix gave her a worried look. “That sounds like it didn’t go so well.”
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. “He’s a bastard. Even if I don’t want any of this, I really did try.”
His lips twitched. “True. He’s a bastard, and I don’t like him very much, either, but deep down, he has a heart … probably … somewhere.”
Faye couldn’t help but smile.
Phoenix had a calming effect on her. Why couldn’t it have been him she’d kissed? He would’ve been a lot easier. He was handsome, with his unique and androgynous appearance, but she felt no attraction toward him. That was sad, because he seemed like the perfect guy.
Despite how Silver had reacted to her presence, she still couldn’t get away from wanting to help him, but another part of her wanted to walk away and never look back.
His words had hurt like hell, and the last thing Faye needed in her life was a cyborg that would always despise her.
She didn’t doubt his words. He would love her and take care of her, but he’d also never forgive her for forcing him into a new bond. In a way, he was already stuck in it.
Just like her.
“Are you going to go back in there?” Phoenix asked.
Faye nodded. “I don’t have much of a choice, do I? Nightmare will be furious if I don’t bond Silver to me, and Silver will be furious if I do it, so I guess I’ll go with what Nightmare wants me to do. He’s way scarier than Silver. Silver’s just pissed.”
Phoenix touched her arm and gave her a reassuring look. “Don’t let Nightmare get to you. He might be big and scary, but he means well.”
She frowned. “He sure has a strange way of showing it.”
“He’s not as bad as you might think. The media really does have a wrong image of him, but at the same time, you must understand he’s lived a tough life. His patience is low and he’s often angry, but all he wants is to save us all.” He shifted his weight to the other leg. “Imagine this. You’ve known the truth about the bond for over forty years, but no one believes you. No one listens, not until now has someone believed him. Something like that can drive anyone crazy.”
Faye blinked. “I’ve never … thought about it like that before.”
“No one has. I’m one of the few who got away easily when my bond tried to kill me. It screams inside me to find a new bound one, but I can handle it. For Nightmare, it’s a lot worse. He hides it well, but I see how it’s breaking him down little by little every day.”
She swallowed. “And Silver?”
He shrugged and grinned. “He’s just a mean bastard.”
Faye snorted. “I figured.”
CHAPTER 4
Silver glared at the door, waiting for it to open again. His chest heaved and sank fast, fury pumping in his veins. He pulled at the chains holding him to the wall, hoping he could set himself free, but all he got was even more protest from the bites in his wrists.
The sweet little blonde couldn’t have walked out fast enough. She’d barely spent a minute with him, but when he’d laid his eyes on her, his heart had almost stopped beating.
He’d devoured her small figure and appealing beauty with his hungry gaze as the bond had pounded in his chest, but Faye hadn’t noticed.
She’d been too tense, and seconds later, they’d been arguing. His cheek still stung from the slap.
Ever since she’d kissed him in the abandoned house, things had been hell. Things had been hell before then too, but it was nothing compared to now.
His body was in a constant aroused state, his muscles shook with need and frustration. The desire to thrust deep inside her was almost overwhelming.
It was eating him alive on the inside.
Chaos.
That was the right—and only—word to describe what he was going through.
Silver let out a roar of anger, pain, and frustration, yanking the chains again, desperately needing to be free, to find her, and bind himself to her.
He couldn’t take it much longer.
He didn’t want this, but the bond wasn’t giving him much choice. Soon, his mind would shut down, and his primitive instincts would take over. They’d rule him, and the only thing that would matter would be Faye.
He’d find her and make her his.
Silver shook his head. “No,” he gasped. “I refuse.” He shut his eyes. “I … don’t … want … this.”
A thin coat of sweat broke out all over his body. His head was spinning, and it was difficult to focus. His bond didn’t care what he wanted.
Instead, the more he protested, the more it screamed inside him to bond Faye to him.
This was a complete disaster.
A disaster he’d never seen coming.
The door handle went down, and the panel slowly opened.
Silver shot his eyes up. Anticipation filled him.
Had she come back?
Faye walked in with clenched fists. She avoided looking at him at first, then slowly raised her head and met his gaze. There was a mix of insecurity and nervousness there, but at the same time, a hint of interest and excitement.
He pulled at the chains again and she paused; watching him. Maybe she worried he’d get loose and throw himself at her.
Well, there was a risk of that.
The chains held him in place.
Being locked up filled him with desperation once more. Silver wanted to roar his anger and frustration anew, but that would only scare her away, and he needed her, no matter how much he hated it. “Please,” he begged. “Kiss me. I can’t take this anymore.” He really couldn’t.
The havoc-ridden emotions the bond created within him from just one look at her, made him almost go crazy.
There would be no turning back once his mind was lost. Not even a kiss would save him.
Only a bullet would end his suffering.
It was a dangerous game she played with him.
And she didn’t even know it.
Faye raised
an eyebrow. “You think I’m stupid? The last thing I want is to approach you when you look so wild and out of control.”
Silver didn’t blame her. He probably looked like a big mess. His clothing glued to his skin, his hair hung all over his face, and sweat dripped down his cheek. His heavy breathing didn’t make things better.
He needed a second kiss, and she needed to give it to him.
Now.
One kiss, and the pain would ease. He’d get his control back.
Her first kiss had initiated the bond, and with it, a fierce need and desire to bond with her. He needed a second kiss to make his eyes flash again. That would make his programming accept the bond. That was where he’d end things. He’d need a third flash, but he’d be able to live without it.
He hoped.
Faye sat on the bed. She crossed her legs and gave him an irritated glare.
Silver frowned. What was she doing? Didn’t she understand that her presence was pure torture, especially when she kept her distance?
He pressed his jaws together. Had to try to stay calm. That was the only way she’d ever dare to approach him. The last thing he needed was Faye leaving the room again.
He wouldn’t be able to handle it a second time.
“Let’s talk,” she said.
Silver cursed on the inside. What the hell did she want to talk about in a moment like this? “About what?” He somehow managed to ask without shouting.
“Tell me about yourself.”
He winced. “Why do you want to know things about me?”
Faye shrugged. “I figured I should know something about the cyborg I’m about to bind to me.”
Silver clenched his fists. “I was created and bound to a woman called Claire Adams. I lived with her for several years, she died about a year ago, I joined the Fighters, and here we are. Happy?”
She snorted. “You think you’re funny?”
“I’m in a little bit of a hurry.”
“If you want me to kiss you, you better answer my questions first.”
Silver cursed even louder on the inside. “Then ask them.”
Faye licked her lips, insecurity crossed her eyes. “Were you happy?”
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